


Darb Date Night

by Fox_Salz



Category: Homestuck
Genre: 1920s, 1920s slang, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gangsters, Jazz Age, M/M, Moonshine, Multi, Paradox Space Is Weird, Polyamory, Quadrant Vacillation, Reincarnation, Slang, Speakeasies, some violence but nothing too graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-04-06 21:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19070887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_Salz/pseuds/Fox_Salz
Summary: It's the 1920s, it's date night, and of course it doesn't go quite as planned.





	Darb Date Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [liasangria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liasangria/gifts).



> Prompt: "reincarnation! au!! eridan, feferi, and sollux are reincarnated on earth as humans...but Time Is Weird so they were sent back to the 1920s...bc i'm a sucker for the roarin 20s...
> 
> listen this is just a thinly-veiled excuse to have my ot3 in a 20s gangster au what do you want from me"
> 
> I couldn't pass this one up, it's the bee's knees. I am a sucker for 1920s aus, gangsters, and reincarnation so this was a trifecta of wonderful.

Feferi adjusted the skirts of her dress that fell just shy of her knees, smiling wide to herself. She’d just changed out of her work overalls and washed off the sent of their goods, got herself all dudded up. Just in time—she needed to go get her boys for a quick walkthrough then date night.

 

As she passed the mirror she pushed a stray strand from her bob behind an ear, still finding the new—human!—body a novelty even after twenty years. Of course she missed her fins and gills and horns, but she couldn’t deny all the fun she was having. Humans were just so squishy and bizarre!

 

She had been one of the many, many dead Feferis in what she had to assume was the last battle. One second she was on the battlefield, the next thing she knew she had been reincarnated as a human in Earth’s past (Paradox Space was so weird). She’d been the daughter of a well-to-do family with all her memories intact, Eridan born to close family friends while Sollux was the child of a servant who’d come to work for them when they were human toddlers. Those lives hadn’t been much fun so they’d run off and made new ones for themselves. Ones where they were happy and together, the mistakes and tragedies of their previous youth long forgiven.

 

They’d kept an eye out for any of the others but after two decades they hadn’t spotted a single sign of anyone. Sometimes she got wistful for her old friends, but her boys and their business kept her plenty busy.

 

Speaking of, she really needed to get going.

 

Feferi headed to their office in the back, humming along to the jazz rolling towards her from the gramophone they kept in there. When she opened the door she rolled her eyes at the sight that greeted her: Eridan sitting on the desk, pulling Sollux to him by the suspenders as they kissed.

 

“Reely, you two?” she chided fondly.

 

Eridan and Sollux broke apart, the former blushing bright red while Sollux just grinned.

 

“Hey, FF. Guess that means bank’s closed. Ready?”

 

“Moor ready than you two. Fool around later, we’ve gotta get going.”

 

“We’re ready,” Eridan huffed, sliding off the desk and adjusting his suit jacket. In this human body he didn’t quite have the same warble to his words, but sometimes if she listened closely she could hear faint traces of it. “After all, we were the ones waitin on you.”

 

“Whale you cod have helped me to make it go faster, you know.”

 

“We were busy crunchin numbers. Besides, you’re better with the hands on production.”

 

“Ehehehe, yeah, FF. ED’s better with his hands elsewhere.”

 

Eridan, face going even redder, let out an indignant, “Sol!”

 

Feferi giggled and went over to them, sliding an arm around Eridan’s and offering her other to Sollux. He took it with a nod and she led the way.

 

“So how’s the hooch looking?” Sollux asked, leaning into her.

 

As they entered the production room she replied, “Just berries! The batch of our new stuff shoald be ready tomorrow evening, and I think it’s gonna reely be hotsy-totsy.”

 

They were all proud of their moonshine. It was steps ahead of the competition (they used their knowledge of Alternian tech to make production better and infuse different flavors, even with the limited supplies they could scrounge up on Earth) and leagues above what most people were brewing in their bathtubs. Their goods were in high demand. Better yet, they only sold certain flavors in their speakeasy to up said demand.

 

“That’s fantastic, Fef,” Eridan said, examining one of the stills.

 

“I’m so excited to show them off! We’ll have to throw a reel findig!”

 

“I can’t wait to blow the competition out a the water and wreck them.”

 

Eridan’s grin still evoked the image of a shark even with those blunt human teeth. Unable to resist, Feferi pecked him on the cheek.

 

“Alright, let’s head to the petting pantry before we miss all the good shows,” Sollux said. Eridan pulled a face.

 

“Sol, stop callin it that. Can’t you say cinema like a respectable person?”

 

“What about me is respectable?”

 

“He’s got you there,” Feferi giggled, poking the spot she had just kissed. He huffed.

 

“You’re both children. Not even wigglers, but _human_ grubs.”

 

In unison they both stuck their tongues out at him.

 

They did manage to finally get out of there and pile into the car, Feferi driving; she liked the thrill, especially with the window rolled down and wind whipping through her short hair. It was a lovely night for it, too, with a clear sky full of stars only somewhat obscured by all the street lamps and other lights of the city.

 

First stop was the cinema. Eridan insisted on climbing over Sollux to rush over and open Feferi’s door for her like a proper gentleman. Then when Sollux tried to follow he slammed the door and held it shut until Feferi pinched his ear.

 

“Can’t you behave yourselves?”

 

“Nope,” Sollux snickered, sliding out.

 

“Just because we’re humans now doesn’t mean I’m not goin to do my kismesitude duty.”

 

“Oh, is that what you two are this week?” Feferi teased, taking his offered arm.

 

“It’s easy flipping black for ED,” Sollux replied, slipping his arm around Feferi’s free one. “He’s very hateable.”

 

“No need to lay it on thick, Sol. I hate you, too.”

 

Feferi smiled at the genuine affection in Eridan’s voice. She started forward, urging her boys along.

 

Everyone knew them at this cinema, greeting them with pleasant gusto and rushing to serve them. Rather, they knew their humansonas. In private they called each other by the names their lusii gave them, of course, but to the public they were Florence, Edgar, and Sylvester, three well todo, self made entrepreneurs. And to the private public that were patrons of their speakeasy, they were suppliers of a damn good time.

 

Even their unorthodox relationship, while raising eyebrows especially from a certain pro-prohibition pro-tradition sect, didn’t matter a lick to most others. Human lack-of-quadrants were a strange novelty, and things were so restrictive! But it was a new era that Feferi was getting a real kick out of.

 

The secluded side balcony they preferred to sit in was thankfully free, and the usher boy led them right up. The film they ended up watching was some science fiction one none of them ended up paying much attention to anyway. There were more important things to do like cuddling and teaming up with Sollux to distract Eridan who had actually tried to watch it. A valiant effort, but all in vain.

 

“Why do you two have to make things so difficult?” he whined, trying to glance between them and the screen without missing anything on either side.

 

“Erifin, don’t you like kissing more than dinosaurs?”

 

“A course! But I’m tryin to make note a all the incorrect ‘science’ so—“

 

Feferi silenced him with another kiss.

 

“You’re such a loser,” Sollux snickered before kissing him, too.

 

After the film they headed across the street where there was a little candy shop while they debated on where the rest of their night was going. Soon as they entered the owner’s face lit up and he waved them over.

 

“What a treat having my three favorite customers in! Especially when one of them is the prettiest lady this side of the Mississippi.”

 

Giggling, Feferi leaned against the counter. “You’re so shelly, Guy! As sweet as your candy.”

 

“Got anything good in?” Sollux asked, coming up beside Feferi while Eridan came up to her other side.

 

“I’ve got a little something for everyone,” Guy assured, reaching behind his counter and bringing out a square box. “For you, Miss Florence, since you enjoy caramel so much.”

 

“Squirrel Nut Zippers,” Sollux read, and Feferi was sure he was overdoing his lisp on purpose.

 

“Allow me,” Eridan said as Feferi reached for the box.

 

He took one out and unwrapped it, holding the candy up to her mouth. She took it between her teeth with a wink before tilting her head back and letting it fall in.

 

“Oh! These are berries, Guy. Edgill, Shellvester, you two need to try them.”

 

Eridan reached over but Sollux snatched one first saying, “Let me, ED.”

 

Then he unwrapped the candy and popped it into his own mouth.

 

“You’re a bastard, _Syl_.”

 

Taking another candy Feferi told the clerk, “This is never ending. But I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

 

“Aww, Flor, that’s—“

 

Feferi pushed the candy into Eridan’s mouth, silencing him. He pouted for a second but started chewing.

 

“Oh yeah, not bad.”

 

“I’m so glad. I have your usuals in stock, as well.”

 

Guy brought out a few bars of Charleston Chew for Eridan, a bag of Bit O Honey for Sollux, and a package of Chuckles for Feferi.

 

“You’re just fintastic, Guy.” Leaning further in conspiratorially she added in a stage whisper, “We’ve got something new that you shrimply must try, next time you stop in to our establishment.”

 

“My, now that is quite the incentive, Miss Florence. I’ll certainly have to drop by soon.”

 

They hung around the candy shop for a bit longer, still deciding what to do next. The evening was young yet, and Feferi was filled with energy. Her boys, too, judging by the way they were bickering nonstop and making fools of themselves. They had taken up residence on either side of a candy stand, hurling pieces and insults at each other, along with threats they wouldn’t carry out.

 

Feferi rolled her eyes but couldn’t help jumping in. It was always a blast to team up with one against the other, but there was a certain joy to antagonizing them both at once. Grabbing two handfuls of hard candies she snuck up first on Eridan and dropped a bunch of butterscotch down the back of his shirt. While he yelped and shook around trying to get them all out she slid over to Sollux who was snickering.

 

“Ehehehe, good one, F—“

 

She cut him off by unloading the rest of the candy down his shirt, too, then snapped his suspenders for good measure.

 

“Rude, FF.”

 

“Well, at least you didn’t side with him,” Eridan sighed. Feferi pushed the brim of his hat over his eyes.

 

Guy, well used to their shenanigans, hummed a jaunty tune as he set about closing shop. They always paid him well enough and kept him in good hooch supply so he didn’t mind putting up with them. She tossed a wink his way before slipping an arm through either of her partners’ arms.

 

“Alright, we’ve kept Guy long enough. Let’s blouse, buoys, it’s time to take me dancing.”

 

Their favorite dance hall wasn’t too far from the candy shop and they walked there pressed together, gay laughter ringing out. Even before they stepped foot inside roaring jazz greeted them, luring the three in like a siren’s call. They gladly followed.

 

The place was positively hopping, dance floor full of jiving bodies. Feferi spotted a few girls she knew foxtrotting together, and plenty of people were doing the Charleston and twisting with a partner or more in all sorts of ways. Eagerly Feferi pulled them onto the dance floor.

 

“Florence!” one of the girls hollered, all of them waving the group over.

 

“There are my favorite embalmers,” one of them, Ruth, teased, hugging Feferi. “Sylvester, did you get even more handsome since I last saw you?”

 

“No,” Eridan answered for him. Sollux just snickered.

 

“Ladies,” he greeted, and several of them giggled.

 

“You all look lovely this evening,” Eridan complimented. One girl pretended to swoon into another’s arms.

 

“Just ain’t fair you get two nice looking goofs, Florence.” Ruth lamented.

 

“I’ll stick with pretty dames,” another girl laughed.

 

“Oh, Evelyn, you only like gimlets! At least Florence picked some fellas who know how to have a good time.”

 

“Speaking of a good time,” Eridan interjected, offering his arm to Feferi.

 

“Let’s go have one, FF.”

 

“Whale, anemone in their right mind would catch that hint! And I just can’t say no. We’ll catch up later, gills. Come on, buoys, let’s sea you shimmy.”

 

The girls’ giggles mingled with the fast jazz as Feferi swept her partners away. A saxophone was blazing loud and proud, wiggling inside her and swimming through her veins. With a wide grin she spun Eridan around, earning a surprised squawk from him and a full-bodied laugh from Sollux. Both sounds were beautiful, especially together.

 

The three of them danced together with abandon, shimmying and swinging each other around, pressing close and jumping apart, stealing kisses in between moves. Even when her feet felt ready to fall off Feferi didn’t want to stop.

 

Feferi lost track of time, but she was sure they danced for hours at least. Who needed to mark time with minutes and seconds when she could mark them in smiles, anyway? And she got as good as she gave there. Even in this new world, this new life it could be difficult to get her boys all gay, but she had learned how to wring them out just like they’d gotten better at doing the same for her.

 

So when Eridan’s face pinched up and Sollux scowled Feferi frowned.

 

“What is it?” she asked, lacing her fingers through Eridan’s and rubbing his knuckles.

 

“It looks like just any trash can come up into this joint,” he huffed, glaring out into the far side of the hall. Feferi followed his gaze.

 

“Oh glub damn it.”

 

There on the second balcony floor was a gangster they’d dealt with in the past, a guy who didn’t like them one lick—and the feeling was mutual: Digger Huss.

 

“Didn’t that guy get pinched?” Sollux grumbled, pressing against Feferi’s back and laying his chin on the top of her head.

 

“Told you he’d be sprung in no time,” Eridan scoffed. “Damn coppers are useless.”

 

“Whale that’s good for us, but it’s alshoal good for them.”

 

“And after all that payoff we did to get him in the big house. What a waste.”

 

Suddenly the gangster met Feferi’s eyes, sending a cold chill through her. Sollux’s hands found her waist; Eridan squeezed her hand.

 

“So what do you two wanna do?” Sollux asked.

 

“We should blow outta here before there’s trouble,” Feferi suggested.

 

“Agreed, and we should expect that trouble to follow us. Everyone’s armed, right?”

 

“Don’t ask stupid questions, ED. Of course I am.”

 

“Shoald we go through the back or front?” Feferi wondered, and Eridan scoffed.

 

“Goin through the back is a show a cowardice. We’re better than—“ Several of Digger Huss’ goons came up to his sides, including his right hand man who leaned in to whisper something in his ear. “Er, we should go now.”

 

“Sometimes you have good ideas, ED. Not often, but on this rare occasion—“

 

“Enough sass, you two, let’s skedaddle.”

 

Of course they still had to keep up appearances; you could never look weak in front of enemies. So Sollux took her left arm while Eridan took her right, and with heads held up high—albeit all of them trying to keep their eyes on the gangsters—they walked calmly out of the dance hall.

 

Soon as they got outside they booked it.

 

They hopped into the car, Feferi driving off before Eridan had even gotten his door closed. Sollux grabbed him by his waistband to keep him from falling out.

 

They got back to their place in record time and battened down the hatches. Their speakeasy wasn’t some cheap and flimsy joint—growing up on Alternia had taught them all how to make sure all their bases were covered. Even without psionics or seadweller strength they knew how to defend themselves. The outside of the building was all brick which didn’t burn, and you couldn’t just shoot to smithereens.

 

The weak spot was the door leading to the steps that brought patrons down to their speakeasy. Of course that was fixed with a little bit of trap rigging so at least they’d be alerted the second someone broke in, and the breaker would get themself a little broken.

 

“Both a you ready?” Eridan asked.

 

As Sollux brought out his knives Feferi glanced over at the counter where he stood, tommy gun in hand. She held up her fists saying, “Brassnacles in place, don’t you worry.”

 

“I’ll worry if they get close enough for you to put them to use.”

 

“Maybe for them,” Sollux snorted. Feferi flashed him a grin that was all teeth.

 

Eridan started to say something but was interrupted by the sound of a door splintering, followed by a metal clatter and a scream.

 

“And it begins,” Sollux mused, twirling a knife in either hand.

 

Pressing a button on the pool table to flip it down as a shield Feferi mused, “At least you can’t call our date nights boring.”

 

Then there was no more time for chatter as Digger Huss’ men clambered down the stairs. Eridan opened fire at the wall, pushing them back up. Feferi couldn’t help admiring how attractive he was in that moment, brim of his hat nearly covering his eyes and casting a menacing shadow over them, devious smirk on his handsome face that Feferi just wanted to kiss. She’d swoon if she wasn’t so busy.

 

A bullet flew over her head and she forced herself to focus. Since she was the one with the best vantage point her job was to call out to the others.

 

“We got six incoming, buoys!”

 

More bullets zipped around her and Feferi ducked back behind the pool table. Opening up a secret compartment on its underside, she took out a pistol and gave a warning shot to the nearest gangster.

 

"Fef, you sure we can't cull these goons? Not even one or two?"

 

“Two," Sollux chimed in, tossing a knife that stabbed a goon's trigger hand.

 

With a huff Feferi chided, “No krilling! Bodies are just more evidence we gotta get rid of later.”

 

There were two irritated _fine_ s and Feferi rolled her eyes. At least they weren’t whining or arguing this time. Though she had to admit it did make things difficult. They didn’t want to wind up corpses themselves, after all—and the other guys didn’t have any qualms with making that happen.

 

“Reloading!” Eridan hollered out.

 

Instantly the other two hopped in to cover him. While the goons stormed down the steps Feferi shot at their legs and Sollux aimed his knives at thighs and hands. The goal was disarmament. Without their guns they were nothing.

 

Of course they were shooting back. It was a cacophony of bullets that kept them all bent behind their coverings. Then one of them tossed something across the room and a second later the place was filling up with smoke.

 

“This is for Digger Huss! Ain’t no one gonna squeeze him out!”

 

“Let’s fill 'em with daylight,” another goon laughed as they opened fire wildly.

 

Feferi’s heart was working in overdrive, banging against her ribcage as she worried about her boys. Then someone was ducking behind the pool table with her, a bony elbow catching her in the face.

 

"Shoallux!"

 

“Hey there, FF. Doing alright?"

 

“Well I’m not full of holes yet,” she replied, checking him over as best as she could in the thick smoke.

 

The bangs of guns were getting louder. Some of the goons were getting near to their spot. Feferi tugged Sollux around to the other side of the pool table, keeping low. She could just make out a pair of feet. She nodded at Sollux who nodded back, and together they charged at the goon. While Sollux stabbed him in the leg Feferi went for an uppercut, connecting with his jaw and being rewarded with a satisfying snap. Just as satisfying was the thud as he met the floor.

 

While Sollux ripped the gun from his hands Feferi surged forward, tackling another goon to the ground. It was hard to see him as they wrestled, but she had the upper hand, knocking the gun out of his grasp and sending it skidding across the room. With a grunt he grabbed her face; Feferi bit down on whatever she could get her mouth on until he screamed and wretched himself free. One good hit to the side of the head knocked him clean out.

 

Just as Feferi was rolling off him to find either another target or one of her boys, the sound of the heavy metal overhead fan started up, breaking up all the smoke. Then there was a far off scuffle before two guns stopped firing. Then a moment later another goon collapsed on the ground not too far from her, and out of the dissipating smoke walked Eridan, cocky grin on his face and gun propped up on his shoulder.

 

“Here I am savin you two again. I’ll accept your gratitude in the form of kisses—Fef—and grovelin—Sol."

 

A knife whizzed past Eridan’s head, sinking into the last remaining goon’s side. While he was distracted Feferi lunged forward and clocked him upside the head. He joined his buddies on the ground.

 

“What were you saying, ED?”

 

Snickering, Sollux came up on his left side while Feferi came up on his right. He was blushing bright red like he’d downed a full bottle of giggle juice on his own.

 

“Well I had to leave you _somethin_ to make you feel included.”

 

Feferi and Sollux both rolled their eyes before kissing his cheeks.

 

“Alright, let’s drag these not quite stiffs outta here,” Feferi giggled. “Then you can show your gratitude, Erifin.”

 

“That’s an acceptable plan of action,” he decided, adjusting his tie. Sollux knocked his hat down over his eyes.

 

“I accept groveling only.”

 

Feferi laughed as their joint was filled with familiar bickering. Her eyes swept over the place. Some serious cleaning up was in need, but all in all the damage wasn’t too bad. She went over to the gramophone they had set up behind the counter and started up some jazz before shimmying over to her boys and getting them on track. Well, mostly. She did pull them into an impromptu dance once or twice, before they all nearly toppled over a groaning gangster. All of them laughing, they took out the trash.

**Author's Note:**

> I've learned so much good 1920s slang.


End file.
